Organizations must prioritize data infrastructure because it has become a key competitive differentiator. As global data continues to grow exponentially, enterprises face challenges in managing historical data and real-time data streams. A robust data infrastructure allows organizations to derive maximum value from their data, ensuring they can become data intelligent before they can become data-driven.

Universal data intelligence refers to the ability of businesses to provide seamless access to data and insights, regardless of where that data resides. This concept is closely tied to data infrastructure, as a distributed approach minimizes data movement and allows for timely insights from various data sources, whether structured or unstructured.

Organizations can manage their data infrastructure effectively by first understanding what data they have and why it exists. This knowledge allows them to optimize storage costs by transferring less frequently accessed data to lower-cost storage solutions. By implementing policies that govern data movement and access, organizations can maintain efficiency and keep costs manageable while still gaining valuable insights.